Intel Opening Retail “Experience” Stores Starting November 23rd

Intel wants to give you a chance to get up close and personal with its PCs. At a press event in New York this evening, Intel Business Line Manager of Mobile and Communications John Wallace announced that the company will begin rolling out a line of Intel Experience pop-up stores later this month, with the first location set to launch in New York’s NoLita (North of Little Italy) on November 23rd.

Update: Intel tells us that the stores will be temporary fixtures only, staying open until January 25, 2014.

Wallace offered few details about the line of stores, saying that an official announcement would be coming within the next few days, along with a list of future Intel store locations. However, he did show a short video which showed what the stores would look like and provided a few key details. In order to get people in the door, the stores will offer free coffee every day, free movies on Fridays and lectures from local speakers. They will also be accepting used gadgets as part of recycling program.

Intel will be working closely with the community to create events at the stores, even bringing in local inventors and makers to showcase their wares as part of its “Tech Disruptors” program. “We like to say the stores will become whatever the community wants it to be,” the video’s narrator states. The video also says that Intel will even be loaning devices to some local users so they can try them out.

Intel hasn’t disclosed what types of products will be shown in its stores, but it’s likely that they will be a combination of tablets, laptops, all-in-one PCs and 2-in-1s that are powered by the company’s chips. In the video, you can see both laptops and tablets on display. Perhaps we’ll also see peripherals like the Creative Sensz3D camera, which Intel designed to provide gesture control, facial recognition and augmented reality features on any PC.

The video also announced that the stores will allow users to order online from within the stores, which implies that the stores will not be selling products directly, just showcasing them. In total, the stores will be open for about two months. Intel hasn’t disclosed how many other stores it is launching beyond the NoLita location.

We look forward to learning more about Intel’s retail effort when the company makes its full announcement in the days ahead.

The official Geeks Geek, as his weekly column is titled, Avram Piltch has guided the editorial and production of Laptopmag.com since 2007. With his technical knowledge and passion for testing, Avram programmed several of LAPTOP's real-world benchmarks, including the LAPTOP Battery Test. He holds a master’s degree in English from NYU.